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Browser Extensions · head to head

AdBlock Plus vs Greasemonkey

AdBlock Plus logo

AdBlock Plus

Browser Extensions

The world's most popular ad blocker

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Greasemonkey logo

Greasemonkey

Browser Extensions

The original userscript manager, for Firefox

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AdBlock Plus acceptable Ads allowlist model generates controversy over ad filtering conflicts of interest; Greasemonkey firefox only. There is no Chrome, Edge or Safari build and there never has been.
  • They diverge on capability: AdBlock Plus covers Ad blocking, Greasemonkey covers Userscript execution.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 15 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AdBlock Plus and Greasemonkey actually diverge.

Attributes where AdBlock Plus and Greasemonkey differ
AttributeAdBlock PlusGreasemonkey
Pricing modelfreeopen-source
PlatformsChrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex BrowserFirefox
Founded2006Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Browser Extensions).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in AdBlock Plus

  • Ad blocking
  • Acceptable Ads
  • Custom filters
  • Social media blocking
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support
  • Safari support

Only in Greasemonkey

  • Userscript execution
  • Built-in script editor
  • GM. API
  • @resource support
  • Script localisation
  • Firefox for Android

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AdBlock Plus

  • Ad blocking for display ads, video advertisements including YouTube pre-roll/mid-roll/post-roll, pop-ups, flashing banners, and overlay adsnot Greasemonkey
  • Performance enhancement by eliminating ad content to accelerate page load times and reduce data and battery consumption on mobile devicesnot Greasemonkey
  • Security and privacy protection by blocking malware-infected ads (malvertising), preventing tracking by companies monitoring user behavior, and stopping access to malware-distributing sitesnot Greasemonkey
  • Supports web browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, and Safari, as well as iOS Safari and Android devicesnot Greasemonkey

Greasemonkey

  • Restyling or de-cluttering a site you use dailynot AdBlock Plus
  • Automating a repetitive action on a web applicationnot AdBlock Plus
  • Adding a missing feature to a site you do not controlnot AdBlock Plus
  • Running userscripts on Firefox for Androidnot AdBlock Plus
  • Writing and testing your own scripts in the browsernot AdBlock Plus

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AdBlock Plus

  • Acceptable Ads allowlist model generates controversy over ad filtering conflicts of interest
  • Smaller feature set compared to open-source alternatives like uBlock Origin
  • Less customization and dynamic filtering compared to uBlock Origin
  • Mobile version less comprehensive than desktop extension
  • Chrome version increasingly limited due to Manifest V3 migration

Greasemonkey

  • Firefox only. There is no Chrome, Edge or Safari build and there never has been.
  • Its API diverged from the Tampermonkey conventions most shared scripts are written against, so a script from a sharing site may need adjusting to run.
  • The dashboard is plainer than Tampermonkey's, with no diff view when a script updates itself.
  • No cloud sync of the kind Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey offer; moving machines means exporting.
  • A userscript manager can read and rewrite every page you visit, so the security of the arrangement depends entirely on the scripts you choose to install.

Pricing, plan by plan

AdBlock Plus

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Ad blocking
    • Acceptable Ads option
    • Custom filters

Greasemonkey

Free
  • Open sourceFree
    • Unlimited scripts
    • Built-in editor
    • No account required

Which should you pick?

Choose AdBlock Plus if

  • You need ad blocking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex Browser.
  • You also want acceptable ads.
AdBlock Plus review

Choose Greasemonkey if

  • You need userscript execution.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Firefox.
  • You also want built-in script editor.
Greasemonkey review

Questions people ask

Is AdBlock Plus or Greasemonkey better?
Neither clearly leads. AdBlock Plus starts at Free and Greasemonkey at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AdBlock Plus or Greasemonkey?
AdBlock Plus starts at Free and Greasemonkey at Free.
Does AdBlock Plus or Greasemonkey run on more platforms?
AdBlock Plus runs on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Yandex Browser. Greasemonkey runs on Firefox.
Can I use AdBlock Plus for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is AdBlock Plus best used for?
AdBlock Plus is most often used for ad blocking for display ads, video advertisements including youtube pre-roll/mid-roll/post-roll, pop-ups, flashing banners, and overlay ads, performance enhancement by eliminating ad content to accelerate page load times and reduce data and battery consumption on mobile devices, security and privacy protection by blocking malware-infected ads (malvertising), preventing tracking by companies monitoring user behavior, and stopping access to malware-distributing sites, supports web browsers including chrome, firefox, edge, opera, and safari, as well as ios safari and android devices. Of those, ad blocking for display ads, video advertisements including youtube pre-roll/mid-roll/post-roll, pop-ups, flashing banners, and overlay ads and performance enhancement by eliminating ad content to accelerate page load times and reduce data and battery consumption on mobile devices are not what Greasemonkey is typically brought in for.
What can AdBlock Plus do that Greasemonkey cannot?
AdBlock Plus covers Ad blocking, Acceptable Ads, Custom filters, Social media blocking. Greasemonkey covers Userscript execution, Built-in script editor, GM. API, @resource support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

AdBlock Plus: What does Adblock Plus block?

Adblock Plus blocks banner ads, pre-roll and mid-roll video ads on YouTube, pop-ups, sidebar ads, and most standard display formats. With Acceptable Ads disabled and EasyPrivacy enabled, it achieved a 100/100 score on AdBlock Tester in April 2026.

Source
Greasemonkey: Is Greasemonkey still maintained?

Yes. Version 4.14 was released on 2 June 2026, and the project has an active repository, bug tracker and discussion groups.

Source
AdBlock Plus: What browsers does Adblock Plus support?

Adblock Plus is available for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Yandex Browser.

Source
Greasemonkey: Does Greasemonkey work on Chrome?

No. It is a Firefox extension and has never shipped for Chrome. Violentmonkey and Tampermonkey are the equivalents there.

Source
AdBlock Plus: Is there a premium version of Adblock Plus?

Yes. Adblock Plus Premium costs $40 annually or $4 per month and allows users to block cookie consent pop-ups, while the free version includes core ad blocking.

Source
Greasemonkey: Will Tampermonkey scripts run in Greasemonkey?

Often, but not always. Greasemonkey's API diverged from the conventions most shared scripts are written against, so a script may need its header or its GM calls adjusted.

Source
AdBlock Plus: What is Acceptable Ads?

Acceptable Ads is an opt-in setting that allows advertising Adblock Plus deems unobtrusive to display on websites; it is disabled by default but can be toggled in Settings.

Greasemonkey: Does Greasemonkey run on mobile?

On Firefox for Android, from version 4.12. There is no iOS build, because Firefox on iOS cannot load extensions of this kind.

Source
Greasemonkey: What is the GM API?

The set of functions a userscript manager exposes to scripts, named after Greasemonkey, which defined it. Greasemonkey supports the promise-based GM. form including GM.xmlHttpRequest and GM.registerMenuCommand.

Source
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